Today, the Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries held a legislative hearing on four bills focused on giving more local control over water infrastructure, updating coastal barrier maps and supporting local communities. Subcommittee Chairman Cliff Bentz (R-Ore.) issued the following statement in response: 

"Today’s hearing, held by the Water, Wildlife, and Fisheries subcommittee of Natural Resources, focused on legislation that is important and necessary to the lives and work of the American People. This legislation will help: protect homes along the ocean in North Carolina; transfer property from the government to private hands; reauthorize drought protection authority; and protect shorelines from erosion. These types of common-sense solutions are a testament to the hard work of members of the Water, Wildlife, and Fisheries Subcommittee, and I look forward to seeing these bills continue in the legislative process.”

Background

Today's hearing centered on four bills that will allow for local control to modernize water infrastructure, fix mistakes in coastal barrier maps and remove barriers created by federal processes and bureaucracy to support local communities. 

H.R 2437, introduced by U.S. Rep. Greg Murphy (R-N.C.), would require the Secretary of the Interior to update and fix errors in the Coastal Barrier Resources Act system in the North Topsail Beach, N.C. area by modifying the boundaries.

H.R. 3415, the Pilot Butte Power Plant Conveyance Act, introduced by U.S. Rep. Harriet Hageman (R-Wyo.), provides greater flexibility and autonomy to the Midvale Irrigation District by conveying the Pilot Butte Power Plant to the district.

H.R. 5490, the Bolstering Ecosystems Against Coastal Harm Act, introduced by U.S. Rep. Jen Kiggans (R-Va.), gives congressional approval to modified CBRA maps that update the CBRA System post-Hurricane Sandy. Additionally, the bill makes improvements to CBRA that make it more transparent and flexible.

H.R. 4385, the Drought Preparedness Act, introduced by U.S. Rep. Joe Neguse (D-Colo.), extends authorizations for emergency authorities that allow the Bureau of Reclamation to mitigate the impacts of severe drought in western states.